Divided Chapter 15

Gretten rubbed his temples, stifling a groan. Eidra had begged him to have patience, told him to try counting in his head when he began to feel irritated. She had not been long out of the kitchen and he had already hit two hundred.
“How many of these....instant paintings must you take?”
Beth held up her tablet, tapped the screen, “I think this will about cover it...see?” She held the tablet out to him but he waved it away. She slid a finger across the screen, bringing up the keypad and started to type until she noticed Gretten standing with his hands on his hips.
“Exactly how will this little arrangement work?”
Beth shrugged, “You go about your daily routine. I'll observe, take notes, ask questions..,”
“And you are to do this for half a season?” He began to count again as Beth pulled the bench from the worktable and sat down.
“As I become familiar with the routine I could help you....there's nothing better for learning than experience.”
Gretten laughed, “My kitchen, my domain. I do not...” he watched her tapping the screen of the tablet and stomped over to the table to look over her shoulder, “What are you doing?”
“Transcribing what you're saying...see?”
Gretten scowled at her, “I cannot read your Midgardian scribbles...as I was saying, and you may quote, I do not need a woman's help in the kitchen!”
Beth giggled suddenly and he felt his face grow red again.
“What in the name of my Great Uncle Gorr are you laughing at?”
His question only made her laugh harder though she knew it was partly nerves. She prayed she wouldn't continue into hysterics.
“It's just....that on Earth...excuse me...Midgard...” She tried to catch her breath, “The traditional place for a woman was in the kitchen...I mean it's different now...it's ironic...” She wiped her eyes, looked up at him. “What kind of name is Gorr?”
Gretten's eyes narrowed, “A family name!” He tromped to the cupboards, pulling out a wooden bowl.
“An Asgardian name?”
Gretten slammed the bowl on the table, irate that she didn't flinch, “It is a dwarven name. My family hails from Alfheim!”
Beth's mouth dropped open, “Dwarven...you're a dwarf?”
Gretten lifted the top from the flour barrel, scooping a measure out with the cup which half buried inside, “What of it?” He toppled the cup into the bowl.
Beth stared bald faced at him, “We have stories on Midgard called fairy tales...”
“I have heard tell of them. Brenna thinks it great fun to tease me.”
Beth bit her lip, “Well, I thought dwarves were....” she put her hand in the air, lowering it closer to the ground, “Well, short...”
Gretten grunted as he scooped another cup of flour from the barrel, considered dumping it over her head.
“But you're sort of tall. You're taller than me by a couple inches.” Beth stood up from the bench, “See?”
Gretten stopped as she walked up to him with her hand on her head. She floated it between them. “Yeah, maybe an inch.”
He was flummoxed. More than that, he was undone and it unnerved him. He backed away with a snort.
“I am the tallest in the family. What does it matter? Are you not here to learn?”
Beth nodded as she returned to the bench, watching his features relax as he began to draw water into the cup from a pump at one end of the stone sink near the rear door.
“Are you making bread?” Beth ventured as he brought the cup to the table.
“An astute observation.”
He took a small pot from a nearby shelf, “We go through loaves of bread a day.” took the top off of it, “Bread needs yeast.”
He continued on unaware that Beth had forgotten her tablet beside her on the table and was now watching him with renewed interest.


Stark was uneasy. It wasn't a rarity, in fact he'd gotten used to the tingling in the back of his mind that something was wrong; it came with the job but this was different. He knew what was wrong, he just couldn't do a thing about it.
Pepper had remarked before he left that he was getting too old to put himself under such stress. He had disagreed though he had to admit, only to himself of course, that he felt more off his game each year. He stared at the screen before him, the words “Call Pepper” on his lips as he realized his error for the twentieth time today.
He banged his fists on the table once, twice and jumped from the chair. He swung open the door to his makeshift office and stepped into the cavernous interior of Longhouse One. The sounds of hammers, drills, men shouting assaulted his ears. He wanted to scream at everyone to stop what they were doing, take a break. Instead he started to jog down the length of the large structure toward the small contained room at the other end.

Simon yawned again. Rather than repair to the tent city in the field between the longhouses the night before, he had opened an emergency stretcher and fallen asleep inside the lab. He had been  completely exhausted from working with the movers, riding back and forth from the city to the portal sites and seeing crate after crate unpacked and properly located. He hadn't the strength or the patience to bother with housekeeping a tent.
He looked at the deck prism sitting on his desk, growing more frustrated by the minute. An heirloom like this deserved to fulfill the purpose it had been made for. His three times great grandfather would be rolling in his grave to see the cone of green glass enclosed in a windowless room. He reached over and moved it, squaring it off with the right corner of the desk, stood up and walked to one of the packing crates, preparing to unload the contents. The knock and subsequent opening of the door signaled the usual disruption as he glanced up from the crate and gave a thin smile, “Sir.”
“Still with the sir...” Tony strode through the room and sat down in Simon's chair, scanning his desk. He leaned forward and picked up the prism, turning it in his hands, holding it up to the fluorescent lamp on the other corner of the desk.
Simon picked up the hammer from the top of the crate and jammed the lever end under one corner of the top. With one good push and a loud creak, the nails slid from the wood.
“A lot of time could have been saved if we'd been allowed to use the metal packing containers.” Simon muttered, looked up at Tony who had carefully placed the prism in the dead center of his desk, “Must you?”
Tony smiled, “Uh, yeah. Just checking on your progress. I see nothing's changed.”
From the moment he'd started to work in the lab with Tony and Bruce, Tony had immediately picked up on his condition, swinging between torturing him and trying to cure him.
“Not when you point it out, thank you.” Simon walked to the desk and dragged the prism back to the right hand corner until it was exactly where he wanted it.
He returned to the crate, working at the next corner, “Where was I...oh, containers....”
Tony pushed away from the desk, coming around to sit on top of it, pushing the prism ever so slightly with his pinkie.
“Hey, you read the whole manifesto, the smaller the ecological footprint the better.”
Simon set the crate lid on the floor, “It isn't as if we were going to leave the crates here forever.”
Tony held up his finger, “Ah, but if something happened and we did, at least they're biodegradable. Called looking ahead.”
Simon set a box on the desk beside Tony, his eyes flickering to the prism which he reached over and adjusted once again, “Do you foresee something happening?”
Tony chuckled, “Did your boys foresee the Revolutionary war? No. Would America have won if King George had been better prepared?”
Simon frowned, “Not seeing the connection.” He opened the box and started to empty it of it's contents.
Tony rolled his eyes, “You've got a brilliant mind, yet you miss the simplest things.”
When Simon continued to unpack, Tony steepled his hands before him, “Ever heard of the Boy Scouts? Old American organization? Their motto is “Be Prepared” so that's what I'm doing.”
Simon looked up at him, “You needn't bullshit me.”
Tony hopped down from desk, “No, I guess not.” He peered through the glass walls out into the longhouse interior where workers, scientists were starting to trickle in and set up their stations, unpacking, moving equipment.
“It's too late in any case.” He murmured, half to himself.



“I find the whole of Midgard often lacking in bravery and temerity and yet you claim otherwise.”
Loki and Colin had slowed the horses to a trot.
“Aye, my ancestors on me ma's side, Scottish all. The ancient Scots often went into battle wearing torcs about their neck and nothing else save the sword they carried in their hands.”
Loki stared at him, “No armor?”
Colin smiled, “No anything. Naked as the day they were birthed.”
Loki shook his head, “Brave says you, suicidal says I.”
Colin leaned over, “Brill says I. Tell me, what would you think if you saw someone running at you wearing nothing but a heavy necklace and a dirk in his hand? You'd think he was either insane, or worse, enchanted. At least that's how they thought in the dark ages. You'd be confused, terrified, disheartened. I say they were brave, ingenious.”
“I shall say insane.”
“And,” Colin added,  “they would send a line of bagpipers into battle before their troops, playing war songs just to intimidate the enemy as well.”
Loki could see the roofs of the longhouses rising up from the valley as they neared the site, “They could not have survived in great numbers. Skin is poor protection against arrow and blade.”
“On the contrary,” Colin turned in the saddle, “They were a force to be reckoned with. They won many battles.”
“Naked?”
“Their bums hanging out, aye.”
“Remarkable. I should like to read of these battles, even if I believe you are telling me stories.”
Colin laughed, “I'll be happy to request a history of Scottish wars for yer Highness.”
They stopped at the top of the rise to survey the site which appeared to be bustling already. Small carts zoomed back and forth between buildings carrying crates, people.
“The small horseless wagons, they are not powered by your fossil fuel?”
Colin gestured toward the sky, “No, seeing as there's no petrol stations around here, they're using solar powered vehicles, some electric too so it appears...” He took his tablet out of his satchel, turned it on, held it up and took a picture of the valley, “Shall we?”
Loki waved to the road, “Lead on.”


One of the workers tapped on the door to Simon's office before he opened it a crack, “Mister Stark? You have visitors on site.”
Tony clapped his hands together, then patted Simon on the back, “Finally, a proper diversion. Come on Foster, I'm going to properly introduce you to the most exasperating man I know.”
“Surely there can't be two of you in this world.” Simon shrugged from beneath his touch though Tony had begun to guide him from the room.
“Oh...oho that's quick, almost as fast as me. Now let's go play nice.”
Simon looked at his desk, the crate, “I've quite a bit to do here.”
Tony took his arm and steered him again toward the door, “Which will still be here when you return, trust me.”
“Who are we to meet now, pray tell?”
“My friend, Destructo.”
Simon tilted his head, “Excuse me.”
Tony waved his hands in frustration, “Loki, is that better?”
Simon dug in his heels again, “I met him last evening, don't you recall?”
Tony gave a sharp laugh, “I had to play nice then. I like to get him as irritated as I can. It's a personal challenge to me.”
“Oh yes. I recall that game very well...” Simon rubbed his forehead, “   but I would like to finish setting up my space before the noon hour.” Too soon, however,  he was following Tony at a trot down the length of the longhouse.


“Gods, it is much too early for him.” Loki stuffed his riding gloves into the belt about his waist, heard Colin chuckle as Tony took his hand and shook it.
“Welcome to my summer home guys. There's not much to see yet. They're putting in the pool this week, then I'm going to have a housewarming party.”
Loki let his hand drop, “So often do you jest that I fear I shall never know when you are being serious.”
Tony winked at him, “Trust me, you've already seen serious.” Cutting off any response, he ushered them towards his office at the opposite end of the longhouse, “Now we've had a long twenty-four hours but I'm pretty sure we've transported everything.”
“Pretty sure,” Colin interjected, “Of course you meant positive.”
“You know the old adage, only fools are positive.” Tony turned to Loki and raised an eyebrow. Met with stony silence he sighed, “No? Nothing?....damn it usually works. I even gave you a chance. Okay, let's say if we have missed anything, we'll find out when we're all unpacked and then we can order it.”
Tony opened the door to his office as the others filed inside, “Jarvis, could you do me the honor of bringing up the schedule please?”
“Of course, sir.”
In the middle of the room appeared a neon red grid which he pointed to with his index finger. “This..” Colin saw the grid change until the date 7/1/29 stood out in bold red at the top with a list of tasks written beneath it, “..is where we are now.” He flicked his finger across the grid until 8/1/29 appeared.
“..And here is where we hope to have the first portal ready for testing.”
Loki stepped up to the grid, started to read the task list, “Item test? What does this mean?”
Tony moved beside him, “It means that we send an inanimate object through the portal and if it doesn't come out on this side looking like scrambled eggs, we move to live tests.”
“Reassuring isn't it?” Simon piped up.
Tony turned and waved him to approach. Cursing his large mouth, Simon walked up to Tony, nodded to Loki who gave him a slight smile.
“You recall meeting Simon yesterday morning?” Tony patted Simon's shoulder, “He's the brainchild who figured out how that little trinket of your daughter's worked, or rather how we could imitate the energy signal.”
“So the genius deferred to other means? I am surprised you allowed it was him.” Loki's smile brightened and Simon was aware he and Tony were sparring. It was only fair he paid Tony back for taking him from his chores.
“I don't want to brag. Not exactly my thing and all, but I will say I came upon two of the most brilliant minds known to science standing there with their mouths hanging open.”
Loki turned to him, “Two? Who else was at such a great loss?”
Tony grinned gamely as Simon kept on, “Doctor Banner? You probably..”
“The beast?!” Loki cried, “Here is no great surprise for I have long known he is more brawn than brain.”
“Oh, you've met then?” Simon replied as Tony put his arm around Simon's shoulders.
“I'm going to give you a homework assignment later...”


Brenna dropped to the ground, tying Agathon beside Blackberry at the post by the longhouse door. Workers walking in and out of the building nodded to her. One of them stopped, a man in a suit which called to mind the one Lily wore on Midgard. Another agent?
“Can I help you?”
Brenna nodded, “I am looking for Mister Stark and my father, Prince Loki.”
The young man opened the door slowly, “If you'll follow me, I'll help you locate them.”
“Thank you.” Brenna smiled as they entered the longhouse, shutting the door behind them with a hollow thud.


Colin spied Brenna first as he gazed out through the glass walls at the workers. He turned to Tony who was facing him and jerked a thumb behind him. Tony gave him an odd look as he kept talking to Simon and Loki until he saw the young man rap lightly on his door and open it.
“Sorry to interrupt you, sir. You have another visitor.”
Brenna sidled past him into the room. “I was terribly bored at home.”
Tony threw his arms wide and strode over to her, wrapping her in a great hug. Colin could see Loki's face darken considerably.
“Brenna, I didn't get a chance to say hello yesterday.” Tony held her out at arms length, “You look so grown up now. How old are you again?”
“Nineteen seasons. I shall be twenty by the middle of the next moon.”
Tony led her to his desk and gave her his chair, “Weren't you going to college?” He looked up at Loki who was now glaring at her.
“How come she's not in college? Don't tell me you forbade her to go? She's one very smart young lady.”
“We had an agreement,” Loki growled through clenched teeth, “She was to come home to Asgard for two seasons so she could learn to conduct herself as a noble then she could return to finish her schooling if she wished.”
Tony took her hand and patted it, “Excellent. You've picked out a school then?”
Brenna put her hand atop his, “I was accepted to City Tech in New York. I am fairly bursting with excitement. I cannot start until spring but I am going to visit Sophie after my birthday. We are getting an apartment together for she too is going to college in New York.”
Tony gave her another hug, aware Loki was seething, “Now you know all you gotta do if you need anything at all is ask your Uncle Tony or your Aunt Pepper. Promise me?”
“She will need nothing.” Loki muttered, “...which I cannot provide for her though I thank you for your offer. Now may we continue with the tour?”
Brenna stood up but Loki put his hand out, “You may stay here and wait for me.”
Tony was quick to offer his hand to her, however, “Now it's my project. If I wish for an extra guest, I can have one. It's not a big deal. No top secret stuff.”
“I told her to remain home.” Loki stared at her, “There was no need for her to be here.”
“Nevertheless, here she is. Come on, let's get started.”
They re-entered the longhouse interior, following Tony who had given Brenna his arm.
Colin looked up at Loki's face, sighed, “She's not hurting anything...being here I mean.”
Loki turned on him, “She is disobedient.”
“She's well on her way to twenty. She's an adult in every sense of the word.”
Loki smirked, “Now you sound like my wife.”

“So Pepper stayed in New York? How sad.”
Tony gazed at the floor, “I've got to have someone to run my company while I'm gone. It's better like this. She'd have nothing to do here, she'd only be underfoot.” He pointed to the scaffolding which was being laid out on the floor of the longhouse, “This framework will surround the portal during construction for ease of access. Over here is where we monitor power levels for our solar chargers...”
They toured the longhouse for the better part of an hour until they had reached Simon's office and they walked inside.
Tony nudged him once and as if bitten by a snake, he jumped, “Ah, this is my office....where I will be...um...working.” He backed toward his desk, feeling confined. As his hands touched the corner, his fingers outspread, pushed the deck prism to the right until it teetered  at the edge, finally dropping to the floor with a solid crash.
Brenna saw Simon turn paper white as he whirled about to stare at the green glass which had split into shards.
The room went silent as Simon dropped to one knee and began to pick up the pieces, angry tears floating in his eyes.
Brenna bent beside him and held out her hands, “Give me the pieces.”
Simon gazed up at her, “Why?”
“Listen to her.” Tony put a hand on his back.
Simon set the shards in her hands, she could see his hands trembling as she closed her eyes and was at once aware of an odd hum within her though it was strangely familiar. The shards were emitting some sort of power signature and it almost threw her off her task. Her hands closed around the glass pieces, she felt the sharp points digging into her skin as she saw the molecules restructuring, realigning, melding together again in their correct order. Sliding like silk, glittering as they spun about until they were even. Sweat began to bead on her forehead, the hum increased until it filled her mind with a resonance. She heard Simon gasp and opened her eyes with a smile, handing him the deck prism, whole once again. Her head had started to ache as it often did nowadays after such an effort, but she stood, about to say to her father that it was a good thing she'd been here when suddenly the world turned gray and faded rapidly to black.